The New York Yankees placed a huge bet on Anthony Volpe, handing him the keys to shortstop before he could even legally rent a car.
At just 24, Volpe was supposed to blossom into a cornerstone. Instead, his journey feels more like driving on four flat tires, grinding along with the hope it doesn’t all fall apart.
A bat that’s mostly average, but showing flashes
This season, Volpe is slashing .225/.306/.406 with nine homers and a .712 OPS, essentially making him a league-average hitter.
Those numbers represent improvement from his first two years, yet still fall short of what the Yankees envisioned from their young shortstop.
In June, things took a nosedive. He hit just .205/.290/.375 with a .665 OPS, looking like a player desperately searching for answers at the plate.
Defensive drop-off has become impossible to ignore
What’s even more concerning is Volpe’s decline in the field. Last year, he was a defensive marvel, saving 15 runs and stacking up 14 outs above average.
Now, across 717.2 innings, he’s managed just two defensive runs saved and is actually at -1 OAA.
His .961 fielding percentage with 11 errors highlights how far he’s slipped, often looking jittery on routine plays.
Confidence looks shaken at the worst possible time
Perhaps the most alarming part is how rattled Volpe seems. Confidence was once his greatest tool — a kid who didn’t flinch under bright lights.
Now, it’s clear he’s pressing, especially with runners in scoring position where he’s hitting a weak .209/.287/.374.
That production forced Aaron Boone to drop Volpe in the lineup, hoping less pressure might let him reset.
Yankees tied to Volpe’s development, for better or worse
If Volpe weren’t viewed as such a key long-term piece, the Yankees might have already explored alternatives.
But at just 24, they’re determined to let him grow, knowing it might be ugly at times.
It only takes one hot month to turn things around — baseball is funny like that, where a heater can mask weeks of struggles.
- Yankees are seeing very encouraging signs from top outfield prospect
- Yankees are coughing up $25 million for two players not on the roster
- The Yankees just unlocked a new way to deploy Giancarlo Stanton
What happens if this continues?
Still, the Yankees didn’t count on their young shortstop becoming a defensive liability.
They envisioned Gold Glove defense with a bat that steadily improved into a top-of-the-order threat.
Now they’re left hoping that stretch is still ahead rather than something permanently lost.